


The Samurai and the Sharp-Shooter

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Established Relationship, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Humor, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, Human Lance (Voltron), M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Minor Matt Holt/Shiro, Minor Violence, No Angst, Secret Relationship, Space Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 09:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10987896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's tough going on missions when you have to pretend you're dating your rival. Tougher still when you're actually not even rivals but lovers forced to hide that fact for the sake of the team's greater mission. Not canon, but still in space and everyone's there. Fluffy with zero angst.





	The Samurai and the Sharp-Shooter

**Author's Note:**

> So there isn't really an AU... basically it's after some war where Galra lost, and everyone's scrambling to claim power, and Zarkon's still bad while Allura is good and the Blade for this is grey.

Two figures moved with grace across the dance floor, their appearances suggesting aristocratic upbringings and thus providing the rest of the party guests no reasons at all to suspect that they didn’t belong. Though they clearly weren’t locals—they didn’t look anything like the species within that quadrant, actually—it wasn’t surprising to see travelers at the local Queen’s over-the-top ball; in fact, she was known to prefer inviting particularly "exotic" species when possible, and the two were equally rare breeds ever since the War’s end.

“Man, I'm exhausted,” the taller of the two pouted. Upon arrival, all the guests had been gifted small patches to stick near their hearing organs, if they had them, and the castle’s technology automatically translated any speech to avoid any miscommunication (and to prevent secrets), so although he was speaking in his unrecognizable native tongue, everyone could understand what he was saying. “Mind if I rest my feet?”

His dancing partner didn’t have need of the equipment, as he replied in Terran as well. “One more?” Curious, some more nosy party-goers noted, since the man appeared to have some Galran blood in him.

The Terran laughed. “If you insist. Just one, though. These shoes are killing me!”

As promised, they retreated after one more lively dance around the floor. Though it was the Galran who’d suggested the extra jaunt, the Terran seemed a bit more sure of foot to observers and kept up a bulk of the conversation—it was hard to understand just what they were talking about, however, as they primarily laughed over inside jokes and stories from their home worlds.

They glided off the floor as the song ended, heading straight for a cluster of chairs. Other guests had the same idea, however, so only the one who’d complained of fatigue was able to sit, though his partner had no qualms with standing behind him, his hands placed intimately over his shoulders and applying light pressure.

No one was too interested in conversing with the pair, too immersed in their own gossiping. They didn’t mind when the Galran leaned down and whispered something in the Terran’s ear, eliciting an eyebrow raise and a slight flush followed by a terse nod. Giggling, he rose, and the pair retreated to a more secluded hallway, presumably for some privacy. Most assumed the two were simply young and courting—those species who relied primarily on smell could confirm their close connection, at least.

“Where are you taking me?” the Terran asked as he was being dragged along. They passed a few other party-goers, some trying to talk with one another and others simply admiring the castle’s opulent décor and art. Everyone listened in, but no one spared them too long of a glance.

“Let’s head up to the balcony,” the Galran said. “It’s got a great view of the plains to the east.”

“Plains? Why would I want to see those?”

“Were you not paying attention on the tour?” he groaned.

“I was too busy checking you out,” he confessed, shrugging.

“You’re hopeless,” he scoffed, though his smile suggested that he didn’t mind in the slightest.

“Were you able to meet with that ambassador?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, everything went perfectly.”

“Not yet,” the Terran nudged him playfully. “The night’s still young, samurai.”

“Of course,” he smiled in return.

Finally, they neared the balcony. It truly did offer a stunning view of the planet’s unique plains covered in purple grass that swayed in swirl-like patterns in the night-time breeze.

“Clear night,” the Galran noted.

The Terran nodded. “We can’t stay out here for too long. Maybe ten minutes?” He knelt down while his partner moved to lock the door behind them.

“More than enough time, love,” he said, kneeling to help his partner with his task.

From within his boot, the Terran pulled out a long, cylindrical object. Reaching over his shoulder, he removed a decorative shoulder piece, reworking it into its true form, a stock. The Galran produced three more pieces from his person, a stand, a scope, and some bullets. The sound of their shuffling would be suspicious, they knew, to the guards paid by the Queen to tap their translating devices. The plan, then, relied on people assuming they’d wandered off to fool around.

The Terran finished connecting his barrel, then took a deep breath.

His partner laughed. “Don’t be so nervous,” he advised. “It’s not like it’s your first time.” He placed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“It’s my first time at a party!” he hissed. Still, he got down on his belly, placing the rifle in front of him.

The other was quick to join him, rubbing at his back both to reassure and to make some incriminating—in a different way, of course—noise. “Hurry up,” he said. Another kiss, this one louder and against his neck. There was no way anyone listening in would assume what they were actually up to.

He chuckled, placing his face so he was lined up with the scope. It was a bit uncomfortable to line up his shot with someone being so loud near his neck, but he was a professional—well, more of a vigilante, he supposed, it wasn’t as if he was getting paid for his services. Still, he reminded himself, he was one of the best in the game. Even if he wasn’t using his preferred gun due to the castle’s security, he could still easily make the shot.

He moaned at a particularly sharp bite, bumping his elbow back in an effort to chide the Galran. “Watch the teeth, babe. I’m trying to focus.”

“Alright, alright,” he replied, chuckling at the response. He always enjoyed seeing his partner work, after all, it was interesting seeing the usually hyper man so serious—it was sexy, in a word.

One deep breath, two, then the sniper took his shot. Within seconds, a confused rush of screams echoed from the ballroom; though they were far, they could easily hear the alarms.

“What’s going on?” the Terran rose quickly, continuing with their cover. “Why are people screaming?”

“I’m not sure,” they were both scrambling to conceal the gun in its more transportable form. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”

“Not really!” he yelled, stuffing his boot with the barrel. His acting skills were a bit superior to his partner’s. “I think I hear them saying something about a gunshot! What should we do? Should we go back?”

“I’m not sure what’s the safest option,” he walked to the door and unlocked it. “Let’s head back to our room.”

“Alright,” he replied. “Lead the way.” Instead, they let the door close and remained on the balcony, knowing a member of their team would be along to pick them up shortly. They sat close together and silent, fingers twisted together.

Minutes later, a small transport ship pulled up at the edge of the balcony, finding the two feet apart.

They didn’t exchange words, simply hopped through the door and strapped in. They handed their translators to the driver, who zapped them with a quick, electrical pulse from a small device in her gloves.

Only once they were far from the palace did they speak. “The Princess says ‘good job’,” the young woman said.

“Why thank you,” the Terran grinned. “It was a bit hard, working with this loser, but I try my best!”

“Shut up, Lance,” the other poked his side harshly. “I was just fine, as always.”

“No fighting in here,” the woman rolled her eyes. “You guys can complain to Shiro if you’re upset about the assignment. But, that may have to wait, too. The castle is already sending out ships, so we may have a bit of a bumpy ride to get out of orbit.”

Lance groaned. “Can’t we just kill a tyrant _one_ _time_ without so much drama? Is that too much to ask?”

“Yes, you idiot, it’s too much to ask. You killed a Queen,” Keith said.

“She was awful and a supporter of Zarkon! And you helped too!”

“Yes, Keith did an amazing job of licking your listening device, good work,” the driver said.

“I also made sure this moron didn’t rush into things!”

“Not my fault I don’t have cat eyes and can’t see the ship’s ‘go’ signal miles away from me! Which, might I add, makes it all the more impressive that I made that shot! Also, I totally know you and Hunk had a betting pool going on, Pidge!”

“You cost me fifty credits, Lance!” she whined.

He flicked the back of her head. “How dare you bet against me! You know I’m the sharpest shooter around!”

“Well, Hunk and a couple other people had confidence in you, so I was just trying to be the underdog.”

“Did the lovely Princess bet in my favor?”

“She doesn’t know about this stuff. But, I think Coran bet on you. Oh, and Keith.”

“Really?” Lance asked, glancing at Keith. He glared and looked at the wall.

“You’ve never fucked up a shot around me, so why wouldn’t I bet on you?”

He smirked. “Well, well, well, look at that. The great Keith is complimenting me!”

“I’m simply saying that you’re not a completely useless agent, that’s all!” he yelled.

“Oh my goodness, shut the fuck up you two!” Pidge repeated. “Oh, shit. Um, news from the castle: we’re gonna be docking while they're launching.”

“What?” Lance and Keith yelled at the same time.

“The Queen’s security is faster than anticipated.”

“Pidge, I totally trust that you can fly this thing, but maybe Keith should take the wheel for this maneuver?”

“Fuck it, fine by me!” Pidge stood from her seat. Keith was quick to replace her.

“This may be a little rough,” he said, spotting their base with ease thanks to his enhanced vision. “Why the hell aren’t the coms on in this thing?”

“Sorry, Hunk was fixing stuff and may have knocked some stuff out of commission,” Pidge explained. She removed her earpiece and tried to fit it into Keith’s ear, though his larger earlobes made it a bit difficult.

“Alright,” he said. “Launch is in ten seconds, we’ll be attempting to match altitude. Brace yourselves, this thing isn’t built to go so high.”

Lance and Pidge obeyed, strapping in as tightly as possible.

“Five… four… three.. two… one…” Keith counted down, bringing the small ship higher with each second. The chassis creaked under the strain of the altitude while their base launched. They were still a long distance away, but they would definitely make it to the base before it left the atmosphere—their little pod wouldn’t survive that high, of course.

“We’ve got some bogeys coming our way!” Pidge shouted, having pulled up the observational screens.

“What kinda firepower we got?” Lance asked.

“This thing is essentially a repurposed flying car!” she yelled. “So nothing. Shit wasn’t even breaking 70 miles an hour before I spruced her up."

Lance unbuckled himself, standing unsteadily.

“What are you doing?” Keith yelled. “We’re at too steep an angle for walking!”

“These guys are coming too fast! We can’t let them catch us or we won’t make it to the ship!” he was rifling through some of the storage compartments before he found what he was looking for: his helmet, jetpack, and gun. He also tossed Pidge and Keith their helmets before walking to the sliding door. There was a heavy-duty chain next to the door which he locked to his pack. “Put your helmets on, I’m going out there!”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Pidge yelled.

“We’re too high! The altitude will kill you! We’re also going too fast for you to be able to hit anything!” Keith said. Still, he put on his helmet, as did Pidge.

“It’ll only be more a few minutes, the helmet can handle it! Just, hit the retract thing on this wire once I’ve taken these out. There are only five!”

“If we get out of here alive, I am going to fucking kill you!” Pidge said.

“You guys ready?” Lance asked. They nodded, and he opened the door. Immediately, the air rushing past them flooded the transporter—Keith had to fight to keep it under control after the change in pressure within.

Lance didn’t so much jump but was yanked out of the plane. After a few seconds of attempting to gather his bearings and ignore the pain in his shoulder, he pulled up his gun, and shot. Though he prided himself on his ability to aim, given the circumstances, he was abiding by the age-old adage of spray and pray.

“Your boyfriend’s fucking crazy!” Pidge yelled over the noise to Keith.

“Not my boyfriend!” he reminded.

“Sure were quick to get all kissy with him, though weren’t you?” she grinned.

“Does this really seem like the fucking time for teasing me?” he was getting closer to the castle, who was also busy taking out some of the Queen’s ships. Thankfully, none broke off from the main attack to get to them. “Besides, it was the mission. We were supposed to be a couple.”

“Well, you’re missing out. Lance looks, like, super hot taking out all these ships.”

“Aren’t you gay?”

“I like to think of Lance as being rather pretty and a bit feminine, so it’s whatever. Besides, I can appreciate some cool shit, can’t I? This guy is literally hanging out of a flying death wagon while taking down military grade ships with a handgun!”

“Don’t let him hear you praise him too much,” he commented. “His ego hardly needs it.”

She barked a laugh.

“Pull him back in, we’re getting close!” Keith said.

Pidge smacked her palm against the button, and the cord slowly began retracting—too slow, she noted, though she also knew that any faster would be more painful than any person deserved.

“Is he in?” he asked.

“No! The thing’s really fucking slow!”

“We can’t dock if the door’s open!”

“He’s close!”

“Christ!” Keith yelled. They were practically vertical at that point, still above the ship which was climbing faster.

“He’s in! Shut the door!” Pidge yelled.

Keith did just that, right as the docking point passed. He surged the ship forward—a bit hard, he knew, but he could barely keep the thing in control at that altitude as it was. With a quick flick of a switch, they were docked, and they could breathe.

But not for long, a voice in his ear noted. “We gotta get out and get to our stations. Let’s go!” He and Pidge removed their belts and opened the hatch allowing them into the castle ship. They were a ways away from the control room, and Lance was clearly lagging behind. “Pidge, keep going!” He slowed to a jog to keep pace with Lance. “What’s wrong?”

His breathing was labored, and he was clutching at his shoulder. “A lot more yanking and a bit less oxygen than I’m used to. The helmet was spazzing out during the climb.”

“Should we get you to a healing pod?” he asked. Remembering, he removed his earpiece and tossed it behind them. “I’m sure we can manage if you need to rest—they didn’t seem to have too many ships.”

“I don’t think I need a pod,” he shivered. Keith nodded, knowing the other wasn’t a fan of the invention, not appreciative of the comatose state it wrought.

“You’re so stupid,” Keith said. He threw his arm around Lance’s neck, sloppily kissing him on the cheek. “I was worried about you, sharp-shooter.”

“What’s this? Affection in the castle? There are cameras around, you know.” Lance turned to the side and returned a kiss of his own, missing Keith’s lips and smiling.

“No one better be spying on us in the middle of a damn battle,” Keith muttered. “You did good today.”

Lance’s eyes betrayed his fondness. “You did too. Well, not so hot on the dance floor, but we can certainly work on that in the future.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Why do I put up with you?”

“’Cause you love me?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Keith sighed. “I guess I do.”

Lance nudged him playfully. “Aw, really? That’s so sweet!”

“Thanks for taking this emotional moment so seriously!”

“This isn’t just the adrenaline, then? You get one chance to take it back!”

“No, it’s real!”

“Good!” Lance grinned. “’Cause I love you too.”

“As soon as this mission is over, you’re coming over.”

“You read my mind, samurai.”

“God, you were serious about these nicknames, then?”

“What? They’re cute! Give us the whole, space ranger partner vibes!”

“Is that a popular vibe?”

“We’ll make it one!”

They neared the bridge and parted for their stations, immediately taking control of their drones.

“How’s it looking?” Lance asked.

“Only a few dozen ships,” Hunk said.

“You’re slacking, Lance. Aren’t you our gun guy?” Pidge teased. “And yet you’ve only taken out five so far…”

“With a handheld blaster!” he cried out. “It was cool and you know it.”

“Not the time, guys. Lance, your left!” Keith directed his drone and shot the attacking ship.

“Thanks, man. Now, watch me thread the needle…”

With the group all directing drones, they made quick work of the enemy’s fleet. They would’ve been fine without Keith and Lance, for sure, especially once the Princess was able to open a portal for them to travel through.

Lightyears away, they finally relaxed. Keith fought the urge to rush to Lance’s side, instead letting Hunk and Coran get to him first.

“Come, let’s get him to medical bay,” Coran insisted.

“No cryopod, please.”

“Alright, alright, just some salve for your scratches and maybe something for your shoulder—it could be sprained.”

“Keith,” the Princess said, her voice cold as it usually was with him. “While they see to Lance, we’ll have our briefing.”

“Yes, Princess,” he replied.

“Hey.”

He glanced to his side and saw Shiro. “Hey,” he repeated.

“You alright?”

“Of course.”

“That was some good flying out there.”

“Stressful as hell. I thought the Queen’s army was ‘inept’.”

“That’s what we’d been told by the Blade, but their intel was from ages ago.”

“I’m sick of working with them… they always put us in such risky situations, like we’re more expendable than their own agents! They better have all their facts straight from now on. We didn’t even know about the Queen’s listening devices!”

“I know, it was rough. When you guys had to ditch your communicators, we were worried.” He clapped a hand on Keith’s back. “You did well, though, despite it all. You and Lance seem to be working much better together.”

He shrugged. “He’s not as bad on missions, when he’s not talking.”

“We’ll be landing on the Blade’s home planet soon, so get ready to go down there with Allura.”

“Yes sir.”

 

* * *

 

Keith was always uneasy around the Blade. Even though he shared a heritage with them, he always felt like they had ulterior motives. Sure, they were all a part of the Resistance, seeking to bring peace in the wake of the War. Though the main fighting had ended, all the planets with power and weapons saw it as a chance to slip in where their ancestors had failed and take control. The most prominent had been Zarkon, the main antagonist to the Resistance who had risen from the remains of the defeated Galran army.

Keith had stumbled upon his small band on accident. He’d been doing some mercenary work after losing track of his family when Allura, Altean Princess and head of the Resistance, and the rest had captured him slinking around an Allied castle. It had been Lance, actually, who’d done him in, his perfectly-aimed sleeping dart just the dirty trick needed to get an edge over him.

He’d never been much for causes or morals, only doing work for money. But, they’d eventually won him over to their side; it helped that they’d reunited him with his long-lost half-brother Shiro, and that the others weren’t awful to him despite his Galran blood as many were, understandable given the pain and death his kin had wrought during and after the War.

The Princess had recently been contacted by the Blade of Marmora to team up in defeating Zarkon, though their motives weren’t so clear after that point. The Resistance’s goal was to put Allura in power over the Allied planets, but the Blade had never voiced their support for that part of the plan. He knew he tended to be paranoid, but given his career, it was safer to be so.

He also didn’t like being around the Blade because they were composed of other Galrans. They were adept at detecting smells, and he knew they would be the first to note his bond to Lance. He’d thoroughly washed himself before going in for the briefing, though was still worried about the truth coming out—at least with this situation he could blame it on the nature of their mission.

He and Lance had been just short of enemies on meeting. Lance had tried to be friendly, as he always was with anyone, but Keith couldn’t trust him as readily as the others. Perhaps it was because he blamed Lance for bringing him into a new life, and given how uncomfortable he was with change, of course he’d associate him with those negative feelings.

Still, his skillset landed him a full-time gig with Allura’s small, personal crew, so they’d been forced to get a little closer. On missions, they were terrifying when they got in sync; both were great pilots and fighters, with Keith better at close-range combat and having greater fighting instincts while Lance could hit any shot with any gun and was an ace in the planning room.

Their deeper relationship had begun, as things tended to go with them, tumultuously. Keith denied any actual affection for months, insisting that it was purely a physical affair, but they both knew the truth. It wasn’t an explicit rule, but it was a de facto one that persons within squads must refrain from compromising relationships, as their romantic one certainly did. It put the team, and thus the Resistance, in danger, as the agents in question had conflicts of priorities.

Keith knew for a fact that Lance’s loyalty to the Resistance was unwavering, and he accepted that he’d pick the cause over him. He, on the other hand, wouldn’t hesitate to put Lance’s safety over anyone else’s; of course, he couldn’t let anyone know that. Thus, they kept it a secret, even from their closest friends. It was easier for Keith, since he only had one very close friend in Shiro. Lance, on the other hand, had a number of good friends, including the other members of their squad, his family back home, and numerous other Resistance members he’d met during his time traveling under Allura’s command.

It was miserable at times, hiding his affections—he was surprised that he’d ever be one to be upset over not being able to perform acts of public affection, given his more cautious and private personality—and he’d insisted to Lance that they not even give hints of a friendship. So, they bickered as they always had, and their team was none the wiser, nor was the Blade, and nor were the other various factions in the Resistance.

Still, it wasn’t all horrible. That night, he snuck into Lance’s room as promised, smiling softly at his boyfriend who was already lying in bed. He’d left the light on, thankfully, though he was clearly dozing. Keith slid in beside him, noting the bandages around his bare torso. Frowning, he prodded a few of the bandages adorning the rest of his torso, too, surely from scrapes from flying debris.

The man truly had been so reckless with that maneuver, and he hadn’t even thought twice about it. He couldn’t help but feel jealous of the love and devotion Lance had for Allura and her cause. His unsettling thoughts must have upset him more than he’d thought, as he’d inadvertently pushed a wound too hard, causing Lance to squeak shrilly in pain and wake up.

“Ow! What the hell?” he asked, seeming a bit out of it. He noticed who was with him, however, and smiled. “You’re back. Sorry, I fell asleep.”

Keith shook his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump this. You alright?”

“Yeah, ‘sjust a scratch.” He yawned. “How was the briefing?”

“Boring.”

Lance nodded. He opened his uninjured arm, allowing Keith to cuddle up closer to his side. “You know, I really liked this mission.”

“What part? The almost dying part?”

“No, the dance part.”

“I figured. The food was a lot better than the goop we get here.”

“I liked that I got to pretend we were together.”

“We are together.”

“Well… you know what I mean.”

Keith sighed against Lance’s chest. His finger was playing idly with the short, curly hairs on his chest. “I liked it too,” he admitted.

“When this is all over, I’m going to date you so hard.”

He chuckled. “I’ll date you harder.”

“Oh, hell no! You already saw how intense my wooing of you was, didn’t you? So my actual dating will be, like, ten times better!”

“But now I know all your secrets, your favorite lines. You won’t be able to get the drop on me this time.”

“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves that will blow your mind, samurai.” He wrapped both arms around Keith’s back, careful not to upset his injury. “The second this is done, I’m gonna pick you up, spin you around, and kiss you, right in front of Allura and everyone else.”

“Even though she hates me?”

Lance squeezed him closer to him. “She doesn’t hate you. She’s just… weird.”

“She doesn’t treat the other Galra the way she treats me,” he pointed out. “She’s still not over the fact that some of my previous work went against her people.”

“Well, she better come around if she wants an invite to the wedding,” Lance said.

“You’re marrying me now?”

“Of course. If you haven’t forgotten, we did confess our love earlier today.”

“Did we?” he hummed, teasing. “I don’t remember.”

“If you’re trying to get me to say it again, don’t bother working so hard. I’ll say it however many times it takes till you get sick of it. I love you.” He kissed the top of Keith’s head. “I love you I love you I love I love you I love I love you I love I love you I love—“

Leaning back, Keith shut Lance up with a kiss. Despite the heat from their earlier words, the kiss wasn’t going to lead into anything more, as both were too tired for such things. Still, in the wake of their now outwardly expressed feelings, the kiss left Keith’s heart pounding. He pulled away and smiled.

“I love you,” he repeated.

Lance’s grin was dazzling. He nuzzled his nose against Keith’s head. “I was so worried earlier in the ship.”

“I noticed that when you jumped out of the damn thing.”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t let them take down the cutest space ranger in the universe, could I?”

“Your vanity is impressive.”

He laughed. “I’m talking about you, of course. Man, I probably should’ve planned better—could’ve like popped out a panel and shot from inside the thing, don’t you think?”

“That makes a lot more sense.”

“But, the thought of you getting blasted out of the sky—“ he inhaled sharply. “Usually you’re the impulsive one, you know? But I didn’t even hesitate. Just… schwoop.”

“That’s the sound of you jumping to your near death? ‘Schwoop’?”

“Yup.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Keith shook his head. “But, I mean, it wasn’t just me. Pidge was there. And of course Allura.”

“Allura? What’s she got to do with anything?”

“Well, surely you wanted to make sure that she had three of her top supports around for the rest—“

He laughed. “I didn’t even think of that. You know, technically, there wasn’t even a need for us to engage them, or to get back to base. You think I was doing that for her? Don’t be silly! She’d get along fine without us. I, on the other hand, would not get along without you for too long. And, besides, it’d be very hard to marry you in prison or if dead, so I fully intend on keeping us both alive till that happens, then for however long I can afterwards.”

Keith was silent for a few moments, pensive. “So your first thought is for my safety?”

“Of course!”

“Not the Resistance?”

“Ah,” Lance paused, realizing what Keith was getting at. “You think I’d pick Allura over you?”

“I understand. I mean, we’re only one couple, and Allura is hope for a few galaxies, or so. Priorities and whatnot. I don’t want to be selfish, or whatever,” he rambled. “I would never actually ask you to make that choice, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Lance was quiet, his hand running through Keith’s hair, occasionally brushing against his sensitive ears. “Well, you wouldn’t have to ask me to pick, ‘cause I would. Pick you, I mean. Over her.”

Keith swelled at that comment, though guiltily. “That… that means a lot. Thank you.”

“I guess I understand now why they discourage dating within the ranks. But, I don’t think it’s as bad as people think. I mean, look how hard we’re willing to work to make sure we keep each other alive. That by extension helps Allura. It makes sense, then, that they should just let what happens, happens.”

“I think so too.”

“Plus, it’s super obvious that Shiro is head over heels for Pidge’s brother, so it’s not like we’re the only ones. Then there’s Hunk and that Balmeran we met, and Pidge falls for any female engineer or physicist who so much as says ‘hi’ to her. I know this is a war, but we’re all still people; we still fall in love and have other things we think about it. It doesn’t make us selfish that we want to have lives beyond our duties to the Resistance. That kind of blind focus, it just produces soldiers who know nothing but war and then, when it’s all done they don’t know how to move on. I mean, look at Zarkon—not that all of us would be like him if we didn’t have lovers, or whatever—but he’s a soldier, through and through. He never knew peace in his life, and now he can’t let the War go.”

Keith knew Lance was trying to make an important point, but he was still stuck on his first comment. “Wait… Shiro likes Matt?”

“Duh! Poor guy’s got it bad. You two have very similar pining faces.”

“I do not have a pining face.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else notices. And maybe I can only tell on Shiro since I see it on you a lot.”

“I didn’t even think they were that close. Sure, they had that one mission together years ago… but now Matt is head of communications on Xofur. They never even see each other.”

“They talk a lot, still. Why do you think Shiro’s always so keen on attending those lame briefings on Xofur, even if it’s below his rank? He practically rips through the ship to get out when we land,” he chuckled.

“He told me it was because of their spiced curry fries…”

“I’m sure he’s just keeping a secret for the same reasons we are. I don’t think they’re together yet, though.”

Keith hummed. “Would it be so bad, do you think, if we told them? Not, like everyone, but maybe Shiro. Hunk. Pidge? I’m not so close to them like you.”

“Babe, trust me, we’re all friends. They’d take a bullet for you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You’re like a brother to them. And, to be honest, I feel like Hunk has some mind-reading powers and knows at the very least that I like you, so he likes you too.”

“But, I’m hardly nice to anyone.”

“To be fair, Pidge isn’t very nice either, the little gremlin. And Hunk would give anyone but Zarkon’s army a hug so it doesn’t faze him. And Coran, my amazing, crazy space uncle, adores your wit. I hate to break it to you, Keith, but you have not only the world’s sexiest sniper slash boyfriend, but a group of pretty amazing friends.”

“Oh,” he said simply.

“Do you want to tell them, or something?”

“Of course I do. I want nothing more. I want the world to know. People are always flirting with you. And it’s getting harder to fight with you for show.”

“Your insults have been a bit less biting than before,” he murmured.

“And I liked the mission, too, being able to dance with you and smile at you and kiss you.”

“Lick me,” he corrected

“Shut up, it was required of me. I would’ve kissed you senseless if it wouldn’t have distracted you so much from your shot.”

“I totally could make a shot if you were kissing me!” he commented. “And I bet you’d be turned on by it, too.”

Keith flushed—had Lance noticed his state earlier that night, then? “Yeah, well, it’s not like you don’t get aroused when I’m covered in blood, you weirdo.”

“What?” he squeaked. “Why, I never!” He cleared his throat.

Keith laughed. “I see the way you look at me, you know. After our battles.”

“Hey, we all know that red is your color.”

“I like looking into your eyes when you shoot,” Keith continued. “It’s like… I only ever see you so focused when you’re fighting or when you’re pleasuring me. Is it really so weird that seeing you like that reminds me of times from the bedroom?”

Lance groaned. “Keith, babe, I’m too tired to be getting turned on right now.”

He chuckled. “Alright, let’s get to sleep then.”

“Do you… do you want to do it?”

“You just said you—“

“Wait, no! Not sex,” he laughed. “I meant do you want to tell people?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Like, tomorrow?”

“Now that I know you’re thinking the same way as me, I don’t know if I can wait.”

“Um, well, alright. How do you want to do it?”

“I could tell Hunk and Pidge, and you could tell Shiro, maybe?”

“Not Allura?”

“I think she’s a bit busy leading a resistance to participate in gossip.”

“That’s true,” he nodded. “So. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Quiznak.”

“Language.”

“Fuck off.”

“I love you too.”

“Idiot… I love you.”

* * *

 Shiro took things rather well, all things considered. He was worried of course, but Keith shared his and Lance’s reasoning for going pseudo-public. Then, he was shocked that they’d been able to hide things for over a year—had it really been so long? Keith thought—especially given Lance’s tendencies to brag and Keith’s inability to hide his more intense feelings from his face.

Hunk and Pidge immediately tracked Keith down in order to take him up in the most impressive group hug he’d ever received—and he was dating Lance, who’d grown up cuddling with siblings and was nearly an octopus with the way he clinged to any and everything as he slept. They laughed, and he swore Hunk started crying at some point, and eventually Lance stumbled upon them and joined in on their cuddle puddle.

Coran found out next—the pair really weren’t as stealthy as they thought, despite being advanced at covert operations. They couldn’t help it that they were overflowing with love and affection and needed to express themselves physically and verbally. He hadn’t walked in on anything too mature, thankfully, but Keith was still embarrassed being around him for the next few weeks since he’d witnessed them holding hands, rubbing noses, and whispering to each other about favored children’s names and planets to move to after the war; Lance teased him that he was too concerned with keeping his “bad boy” image, which he denied vehemently.

Given that they were sleeping together more regularly, it was no surprise that the Blade noticed next. They didn’t seem to mind at all, in fact, they seemed celebratory of it, though they also understood that it was a private matter and didn’t mention it to anyone else. He received a number of unhelpful tips for wooing in traditional Galran fashion, even though he explained repeatedly that both he and Lance grew up on Terra and thus had no need for any such practices. Still, he did learn more about how highly Galrans valued mates. They guessed that Zarkon himself, should he ever capture the pair, would never attempt to split them, as in their culture, such a thing was too cruel. Keith didn’t want to think on that too much, as he never intended for things to get so bad.

A handful of Resistance fighters they met found out as well, but it turns out that beyond the castle-ship, they were much more lax on internal dating. Keith and Lance were hardly trendsetters in the grand scheme of things, although they had been a catalyst at the very least to Shiro and Hunk to make a move on their respective interests.

Through all this, they continued their fight against Zarkon, and they worked better than ever without the stress of keeping their secret. After years of struggling, they finally won. Lance kept his promise and ran to Keith’s side, both of them sweating and bleeding, covered in dirt and bruises; he picked him up and kissed him anyway, and though the cheers were for the victory, both felt the celebration as if it was for them. He proposed right after, and Keith, teary-eyed, said yes.

Allura said she’d known all along. Turns out she _did_ have time for gossip despite being a leader, and the ship’s mice were fountains of knowledge. In their efforts to be both soldiers and people, they’d forgotten that Allura, though a Princess, was also a person, not so much older than them, even. She happily accepted the position of bridesmaid, even though on her planet they had no such titles and thus she had no idea what it actually meant.

The decorated veterans—vigilantes, space rangers, what have you—were finally able to find peace with each other. Keith met Lance’s wild and huge family, and they searched for Keith’s across the universe, helping Allura out with diplomatic missions whenever the occasion called for it (though it was truly just an excuse to sight-see, Lance said). Their Resistance family had spread across the known universe, but they still kept in contact, occasionally meeting new additions as well as eventually introducing their own adopted children.

The samurai and the sharp-shooter lived happily ever after.


End file.
